Reusable U.S. Air Force Space Plane Lands In Santa Barbara County

Posted on Sunday, June 17, 2012 12:33am

An unmanned, reusable plane which can fly into space, and land back on earth is on the ground in Santa Barbara County, after a 469 day flight.

The X-37B was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in March of 2011. It landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base early Saturday morning, after what are described as a series of successful in-orbit experiments.

The X-37B is designed to try to help fill some of the baps created by the end of the Space Shuttle program, by providing a means of getting certain payloads, and experiments into space at a lower price, through a reusable vehicle. Plans call for another test launch of one of the experimental vehicles this fall.